Luck of the Devil (The Forge Trilogy #2)(40)

My sister has a point. And even though I have their numbers, they’ll no doubt block mine.

“I guess you can’t help people who don’t want to be helped,” I say, my tone rueful.

Alanna smiles at me gently. “Yes, you can. You have to wear them down, just like I did with you. Don’t write them off quite yet, darling. They didn’t hurt us.” She pauses and looks around the room. “And I don’t think they stole anything. They were just scared kids running back to the only sense of security they have.”

My gut twists at the thought of what they went back to. If, by some miracle, I find those girls again . . .

Thoughts of saving the two young girls flee as Forge comes to the doorway, one hand wrapped like a manacle around the arm of the guy who was in the efficiency apartment, and the other dragging the silver suitcase. Quickly, I tell him what happened to the girls, and he nods to the kid.

“Reggie’s got twenty quid on him. He’s offered it up to help pay for repairs, but I told him to use it to get the fuck off the island.” Forge looks to me. “Did you call off the cops?”

Fuck. “Not yet. Summer, can you call them?”

“Why would we want to call them off?” Summer’s blond brows dip together as Jericho’s expression turns dark.

“Because we’re going to handle this ourselves.”

I’m thankful he doesn’t tell them about the suitcase. Alanna would lose her mind. My sister fumbles for her phone as his dark gray gaze cuts to Alanna.

“When is your next rental?”

“Not until the weekend, but I’ll have to cancel now,” she says, wringing her hands.

“No cancelations necessary. My staff will take care of it—including removing the damaged furniture and replacing it with new.”

Alanna blinks at it him like he’s speaking a foreign language. “I can’t afford all that, Mr. Forge. I’ll have to find something used—”

“I’ll handle it. That’s what family does.”

The warm feeling that blossomed in my chest earlier comes back tenfold.

Alanna’s eyes fill with tears. “Thank you so much. You’re truly a blessing, sir.”

“It’s my privilege. Do you need anything else tonight?”

She shakes her head, and he turns to Summer.

“Call off the cops. If they show up, tell them there was a misunderstanding and apologize. Don’t let them in the efficiency apartment. Koba will stay there tonight, so he’ll be close in case something happens and you need help.”

I crane my neck to look out in the hallway beyond Forge. Sure enough, his blond security guy is standing out there, bent over and hauling in breath after breath like he just ran a marathon.

A vein ticks in Jericho’s jaw, and it’s obvious he’s not pleased that Koba came back alone.

He releases his hold on Reggie’s arm and pushes him at Koba before holding out his hand to me. “Let’s walk Reggie out to the bus on our way to the boat.”





41





Forge





Reggie picks up his blue suitcase and bolts as soon as we hit the street, just as I expected he would. Thanks to my text while we were in the hallway, Donnigan was ready for him and is already trailing the kid. Dorsey meets us in front of the building and takes the handle of the silver suitcase from me. Koba heads back inside.

“The others?” I ask her.

“In place or will be shortly, as you requested, sir.”

Indy frowns at me, looking as if she has a hundred questions swirling in her brain. “What’s happening?”

“Nothing. We’re just making sure the building is locked down, and we see everything and everyone coming and going tonight.”

“Do you think someone will try to come back tonight?” Indy asks, concern once again lining her forehead.

“I don’t know what they plan to do, but there’s no question that Alanna and your sister are completely safe.” I grip her hand and squeeze.

What I don’t tell her is that my security detail isn’t only watching her sister and Alanna. They’re also there to watch Koba.

As much as it pains me to distrust one of my own, especially someone whose loyalty I believed was unquestionable, I’m not taking any more chances. Koba was on duty when Indy got slashed and purse-snatched in Saint-Tropez, and when Bastien grabbed Indy off the dock. And now tonight, with him letting that fucker Alfie Littleton, someone with connections to de Vere, get away . . . it’s all too convenient, and I don’t believe in coincidences.

If I have a traitor within my organization, I will find out and I’ll deal with him accordingly. When I’m done, whatever de Vere’s paying him won’t have been enough, because the price of betrayal will be his life.

“Are you ready to depart, sir?” Dorsey asks, waving to one of the nondescript black sedans I keep on the island.

“Yes, we’re ready.”

She loads the suitcase into the sedan, and I keep an eye out for cops who might have been conveniently tipped off and ready to strike. I have enough of the department on my payroll that it shouldn’t be an issue, but I’m not taking any chances.

I open the back door for Indy and wait until Dorsey closes the trunk to slide inside.